Summary
Diablo 4has been going through some ups and downs after its full release, but the recent Season 4 and the game’s current season, called Infernal Hordes, combined with a handful of changes, paved the way for the release of the Vessel of Hatred expansion. Now, the game is in the best state it’s ever been, with itemization allowing players to customize their gear for overall better builds, which is something the newly revamped Uniques inDiablo 4’s Infernal Hordeshelp a lot with. Aspects still play a big part in the game’s buildcrafting, as players can unlock them as they progress through World Tiers, Helltides, Dungeons, and more - however, they could be a double-edged sword for the upcoming Spiritborn class in Vessel of Hatred.
WhileDiablo 4’s new October expansion will shake up the game’s current systems in many ways, possibly including a level cap change, one of the biggest points of interest is most likely going to be the Spiritborn class.Diablo 4has been out for over a year now, and longtime players may feel bored of the core five classes already, thus putting a lot of weight on the Spiritborn’s shoulders. Unfortunately, the ARPG’s new class may have a huge weakness right off the bat.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred’s Spiritborn Class is Poised to Break a Big Weapon Slot Tradition
Diablo 4’s Spiritborn Could be The First and Only Class With Two-Handed Weapon Options Exclusively
Diablo 4’s Aspectscan make the difference between casual builds and endgame-proof ones, often even making the leveling process much less of a slog (also thanks to the many XP acquisition buffs that came over time). Still, it is essential for any build to have access to some powerful Aspects as well as Uniques to achieve full potential on any class. For this reason, the Spiritborn may start out quite hindered, as it currently seems to only be capable of wielding two-handed weapons like polearms, glaives, and quarterstaves.
This is a big issue for min-maxing builds because two-handed weapons do occupy both hand slots in the character menu, meaning that, unless something changes,Diablo 4’s Spiritborn classwill always have a maximum of nine slots compared to every other class' option to have either nine or ten. This also means having one fewer Aspect slot to use, effectively reducing the number of options for the Spiritborn when it comes to crafting the perfect build. Two-handed weapons have one redeeming quality in the form of doubling bonuses from item properties and Aspects, and in some cases it may be worth using them over two separate items, but on the Spiritborn this seems like the new standard.
Diablo 4’s Spiritborn May Have Itemization Problems With One Fewer Weapon Slot
It’s worth noting that datamining did suggest theVessel of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4would give Spiritborns the option to wield a shield, but this has not been confirmed by Blizzard so far. This may still be subject to change in future campfire chats from Blizzard or even showcases of the Vessel of Hatred expansion, but there is no indication this will be the case for the time being.
If the Spiritborn truly cannot wield shields and one-handed weapons, this means that not only will the Necromancer remain the onlyshield-wielding class inDiablo 4’s roster for quite some time, but also that the Spiritborn may take more work to perfect. Although the game’s itemization is in a much better state compared toDiablo 4’s launch, two-handed weapons still only have four Tempering attempts as any other item, for example. Leveling up may not be affected, but finding a near-perfect weapon for endgame content is not exactly easy, and breaking it with the wrong Tempering affixes could be all the more painful.
This means that getting the perfect roll is going to be harder, even withDiablo 4’s new Scroll of Retempering, which allows a fifth attempt in case the original four failed. Not only that, but a doubled-up Aspect in terms of power may still be an inferior choice compared to an additional base-level Aspect in the off-hand slot. Unless the class is indeed given a shield or any other one-handed option, or at least a very powerful selection of two-handed Unique weapons that would make up for the lost slot, Spiritborn players may be in for a bitter surprise.
Diablo 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
